Special Education Field Advisory From: James P. DeLorenzo Subject: Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential for Students with Severe Disabilities Sections 100.5, 100.6, 100.9 and 200.5 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education have been amended to replace, beginning with the 2013-14 school year and thereafter, the New York State (NYS) individualized education program (IEP) diploma with a Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential for students with severe disabilities who are eligible to take the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA). In this context, students with severe disabilities means students who have limited cognitive abilities combined with behavioral and/or physical limitations and who require highly specialized education, social, psychological and medical services in order to maximize their full potential for self-fulfillment and meaningful participation in society. Students with severe disabilities may experience significant speech, language, and/or perceptual-cognitive impairments, and evidence challenging behaviors that interfere with learning and socialization opportunities. These students may also have extremely fragile physiological conditions and may require personal care, physical/verbal supports and assistive technology devices. The Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential will provide this group of students who are exiting school after attending at least 12 years, excluding kindergarten, with a commencement certificate similar in form to the diploma issued by the school district. The Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential must be accompanied by documentation of the student’s skills and strengths and levels of independence in academic, career development and foundation skills needed for post-school living, learning and working. Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential: Requirements The Board of Education or trustees of a school must (and the principal of a nonpublic school may) issue a Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential to each student with a severe disability in accordance with the following rules. 1. Only students with disabilities who have been instructed and assessed on the alternate performance level for the State learning standards are eligible for this credential award. 2. The credential may be awarded any time after such student has attended school for at least 12 years, excluding kindergarten or received a substantially equivalent education elsewhere; or at the end of the school year in which a student attains the age of 21. 3. The credential would not be considered a regular high school diploma in accordance with State standards or for federal accountability purposes. 4. The credential must be similar in form to the diploma issued by the school district or nonpublic school, except that there shall appear on the credential a clear annotation to indicate the credential is based on achievement of alternate academic achievement standards (see Attachment 1). 5. The credential must be issued together with a summary of the student’s academic achievement and functional performance (Student Exit Summary – see State Developed Model Form Attachment 2) and must include documentation of the student’s: ¾ achievement against the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) learning standards p12.nysed.gov/cte/cdlearn/; ¾ level of academic achievement and independence as measured by NYSAA; ¾ skills, strengths, interests; and ¾ as appropriate, other achievements and accomplishments. 6. For students less than 21 years old, the credential must be provided with a written assurance that the student continues to be eligible to attend the public schools of the school district in which the student resides without payment of tuition until the student has earned a regular high school diploma or until the end of the school year in which the student turns age 21, whichever occurs first. Skills and Achievement Exit Summary Model Form The Department has, with extensive stakeholder participation, developed a recommended model form for districts to use to meet the documentation requirements that must accompany an award of a Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential. For students with severe disabilities, use of this form would also meet the federal and State requirement for the summary of academic achievement and functional performance that must be provided to a student with a disability upon exit from school. The model Exit Summary form includes those competencies/skills identified as important for postsecondary living, learning and working. Use of this form would ensure consistency in documentation across the State for students exiting with this credential. 2
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 17:46:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015